(Photo © J. Maus)
The annual Cirque du Cycling bike fest on N. Mississippi Avenue is this Sunday. The event brings together many facets of Portland’s bike scene and this year organizers have added yet another — a cargo bike race.
It was bound to happen as Portland’s cargo bike scene has gone absolutely bananas in recent years (I’ll try to share more photos and notes from a recent cargo bike meet-up soon).
The Cirque includes a family ride, an art/freak bike parade, a very competitive criterium race, and it’s a benefit for Albina Youth Opportunity School. Event organizer Ayleen Crotty says the Cargo Bike Race is a natural addition.
“We are very excited for this,” she shared via email, “It’s our first year doing it; so we’re keeping the race simple with hopes to expand it.”
Crotty says the field for the cargo bike race is already shaping up and features some well-known local names (registration is closed and was limited to 10 racers)…
Track stand/World Messenger Champion, former cargo-bike delivery professional, bike-powered music tour veteran, and currently the service manager at Joe Bike on SE Hawthorne, Mike Cobb…
Joel Metz from Magpie Messenger Collective (Portland’s original — and only — cargo bike messenger company) says he’s competing to win and he’d be “embarrassed if he were beat by a longtail”…
Charlie Wicker of Trailhead Coffee, who completed the 7-day Cycle Oregon with his custom Metrofiets cargo bike last year…
Ken Weatherell from Portland Pedal Power on his modified Yuba Mundo…
Local filmmaker and founder of Crank My Chain TV Dan Kaufman with his “Disco Trike”…
James Newman, a former big-time racer who did a stint in Europe and is now known as the Thomas the Tank Engine and Boat Bike guy.
The race will be mass-start and riders must complete three laps, picking up “oddly large items” on each lap.
Sounds like it’ll be an epic battle. May the best cargo-biker win!
More about the Cirque at CyclingCircus.com.